Gas cooktop appliances generally include a plurality of gas burners mounted at a top surface of the appliance. Certain gas cooktop appliances include gas burners with spring loaded temperature sensors. When cooking utensils are positioned on a grate above such gas burners, the spring loaded temperature sensor contacts the cooking utensil and measures a temperature of the cooking utensil. The gas burner deactivates if temperature measurements from the spring loaded temperature sensor exceed a maximum temperature. Thus, if a pot boils dry, the spring loaded temperature sensor prevents the gas burner from heating the pot to an undesirable temperature.
Gas burners with spring loaded temperature sensors have certain shortcomings. For example, debris can slide between the spring loaded temperature sensor and other components of the gas burner and accumulate beneath the top surface of the appliance. As another example, liquids can flow along the spring loaded temperature sensor and pool beneath the top surface of the appliance. Access to areas beneath the top surface of the appliance is generally limited, and cleaning such areas can be difficult. Further, the debris and liquids often include food particles, and food particles can attract pests and/or produce unpleasant odors as the food particles collect beneath the top surface of the appliance.
Accordingly, a gas burner with features for limiting or preventing food particle accumulation beneath the gas burner would be useful.